Sanctity
by ButterflyMiko
Summary: Kuri and her sister Reiko gain innocence and are started on the journey to defeat the Millennium Earl. But Kuri has a darkness inside her that she must fight for all their sakes. Allen/OC, Kanda/OC
1. Seeing is Believing

1901

The little bird fluttered weakly in my hands. Kuri held it gently and placed it on the windowsill.

"Come on little bird," Kuri whispered. "Today is the day, I'm sure of it. Today you can fly home to your family."

_If only I could go home to mine,_ Kuri thought as she closed her eyes, remembering her dream.

It had been a good one. There was a large boat, and plenty of water.

Reiko, her sister, came in from the garden. Her tanned skin offset her red hair and green eyes, and everyone said she looked like one of her famous roses. Kuri thought that in comparison, she herself looked more like a hydrangea, with her bright blue eyes and her dark hair and pale skin.

"Kuri you've been talking to that bird all morning," Reiko said. "Don't you think if it wanted to fly it would have taken off already?"

She smoothed out her soft cotton dress. Reiko was the elder sister in our family, and she had actually grown the entire garden from one strange seed that had appeared out of nowhere. She had an amazing green thumb and great skills with plants. Everything she grew was now at harvest state, completely out of season. Her skill was their livelihood.

"I just know he can do it!" Kuri responded, frustrated. "I believe in Nio."

"Nio? Is that his name?" Reiko laughed, a light sound blending in with their windchimes.

Kuri screamed in pain and collapsed, blood pouring from her eyes. Her eyes flashed bright red.

Reiko swallowed the strawberry she had been eating and ran to her sister, but Kuri grabbed her by the head and Reiko levitated in the air and then slumped to the ground, eyes vacant, lost to the world.

Kuri flicked a hand out to help her and Rei flew off into the garden.

"NO!" Kuri screamed.

Kuri screamed again, but there was nothing she could do. Kuri was standing on a high tree. Whenever Kuri tried to get down she levitated back into the tree. Kuri's blue eyes were filled with tears that quickly froze in the cold thin air. She could see, really see, for the first time.

And what did she see? Everything. Human beings had an aura surrounding them. Some big, some small. Rei's was big. And the colors changed with their feelings, which, Kuri noticed, had great effect on her, as she could feel Rei's pain, her fear, her panic. That was why Kuri's screams did not stop.

Kuri saw one final thing with these new eyes. The desires, the dreams of the humans. In essence she saw into the heart of her sister. She saw courage, protectiveness, yearning for love and knowledge.

It was truly a mirror of her own heart.

Kuri realized she could hardly breathe and my chest was tight with fear and low oxygen.

Kuri heard something from far away—a familiar sound, her sister's voice—screaming. Kuri climbed down, close enough to see.

Kuri's heart filled with fear at what she saw. Her sister was changing. A tail sprang from behind her, and ears on her head. Reiko was curled up in the garden, pained, looking as if every sound frightened her, every whoosh of wind, the tinkle of the windchimes.

Suddenly the garden came alive. Without warning the vines flew up into the storm.

"IMOUTO!" screamed Reiko, blood from the new ears flowing down her face and mixing with her tears.

Kuri didn't know why this was happening, but she knew no matter what she was becoming she had to protect her big sister.

Calm. Kuri thought carefully, attempting this new power, blanketing it over the area.

Rei stiffened, then relaxed, and the vines lowered, slowly, and the garden returned to normal.

_I controlled it,_ Kuri thought. _The power listened to my wish. They protected her._

xxx

Deno was in town on his way to the Order after his recent assignment when he saw the storm. It wasn't just the storm either, it was the whirlwind of vegetation everywhere. It was far to the south of the town, situated just over a small farmhouse.

Deno knew what it had to be. It was an Innocence. And the Earl must have known too, because there were six level two Akuma heading for the house. The Finder pulled out his Golem and attached it to the phone.

"Headquarters! I have at least one Innocence being bombarded by Akuma out here! I need an Exorcist!"

There was static on the line, and then a calming response from Komui. "Allen and Kanda are on their way. They just finished a mission."

Deno confirmed the location and disconnected. Help was on the way.

xxx

Allen Walker hated working with Yu Kanda. He also didn't much like going on a mission. He pulled his jacket closer. Was it this cold before?

"Moyashi, pay attention," Kanda said in his typical annoying tone. "The akuma are trying to get to it. We have to beat them to the innocence."

"It's Allen!" Allen said, irritated. "Deno said it shot at something in the farmhouse garden. Why would it do that?"

"Che. Innocence are mysterious."

Allen headed through the Gate and into the storm with Kanda, staring up at the eye of the storm. Suddenly lightning struck at the two of them.

A girl was hovering in the sky with lightning in her fingertips, and though her body was unconscious, her innocence was holding her aloft and attacking the akuma and shooting some kind of barrier around a certain area in the forest.

Kanda took off to find out what was inside the barrier in the forest.

_Innocence, Activate. _He thought, activating his left arm into a giant claw. He figured the first thing to do would be to pull the poor girl down.

Just then, her mouth opened in a scream. "NEE-SAN!"

She had been stationary before, but now she moved very quickly and flew faster than he could chase to where Kanda was helping a young woman out of a tornado.

Kanda held the girl tightly and destroyed the last of the akuma that were on the edge of the tornado.

Allen noticed that the girl obviously didn't like Kanda having his hands on her sister. She was going to attack, and he had to stop her! He grabbed her with his claw and pulled her down to earth, pinning her down.

"No! Those monsters are after Nee-san and me! Let me go!" she cried and begged but he held firm.

"Those monsters can't get you if Kanda and I are here," Allen tried to explain, but still she struggled. "Please stay down, and I can destroy the monsters for you."

The wind died down and she looked into his grey eyes with her blue ones, tears still frozen in her eyelashes, and whispered. "Please…save us, Exorcist."

Allen looked over to the west and his eye activated, revealing three akuma left to defeat. "Stay here and I will protect you."

His arm became more like a giant gun, and he ran forward to destroy the akuma.

xxx

Yu Kanda held the strange girl in his arms. She was still crying softly, and clung to him weakly when he tried to leave to fight. He had noticed a tail and ears, and the plants had parted for him to come rescue her from the tornado.

_She must have innocence as well,_ he thought.

"You have to go, don't you," she whispered.

"I—" he began. He didn't want to leave her behind alone. But those akuma were too much for the Moyashi alone.

"It's alright," the girl whispered. "Go on. Protect imouto…onegai…"

The redheaded girl fell into a limp faint at his feet. Kanda didn't have time to waste. He unsheathed Mugen and leapt forward at Allen's side. The Moyashi was shooting at the akuma on his left and Kanda attacked the other two with First Illusion: Netherworld Insects. He had to attack five times before finally bringing down the two akuma.

Allen had just finished his battle and ran past Kanda as the storm had started up again.

The dark haired girl flew into the air and lightning struck from her hands as she limply spun around, her innocence completely in control of her unconscious body.

"Moyashi! Get her deactivated you idiot!" Kanda yelled, heading through the storm to the fainted fox-like girl.

Her innocence is still active as well, Kanda knelt at her side and shook her. "Wake up. You need to deactivate your innocence. The threat is gone. Your imouto is fine."

She opened her eyes weakly. "My name's Reiko Hikawa. But you can call me Rei."

Rei closed her eyes, looking like she was concentrating hard, and then the ears and tail vanished, and the garden receded back to normal.

"My name is Yu Kanda," he surprised himself by giving his full name to her. "Call me Yu."

xxx

Kuri felt herself flying again, dodging the Exorcist below. Kuri couldn't allow him to take her and Nee-san to the Black Order. Something terrible awaited her there; she could sense it. Kuri's feelings were never wrong.

Kuri's dark hair fanned out with the wind and my hand stretched out and struck the white-haired exorcist with lightning. Kuri watched as he collapsed, and felt a pang in her heart.

_What does his life matter to me?_ Kuri wondered. _I don't even know him. What is this I remember?_

Kuri closed her eyes, hearing the sounds of a circus around me, and further back, to my friends from the before-time.

BAM! Kuri was struck from the sky by that annoying claw. Her Innocence deactivated instantly to prevent damage as she hit the earth. The storm stopped and the exorcist glared at her.

"Stop this now," he growled, blood on the edge of his lips. "There is a town down there. If you keep going this way you will hurt people. And so will the Akuma that will hunt you down. You want to be with your Nee-san, right? Come to the Black Order. Fight with her. You don't have to be separated; you both have innocence!"

"But I…" Kuri's voice died out. She had no fight left in her. Kuri didn't even remember why she was fighting him to begin with.

"My name's Allen Walker," he held out a hand to help her up, deactivating the Innocence that was pinning her. "Let's be friends."

"Kuri Hikawa," Kuri whispered, voice hoarse from screaming. "I'll be an exorcist. To protect Nee-san."


	2. Memories

"Call," Allen Walker said to Kuri. He smirked slightly as he lay down his cards. Even to her, he would never lose at poker.

Ever since Kuri and Reiko had arrived at the Order, they had been in rigorous training. Allen remembered the first night all too well. He had gone to her room to bring her to dinner, figuring she might not know where the cafeteria was yet, when he heard gentle sobbing.

He stared through the crack in the door to see Reiko, covered in burns, sobbing on Kuri's lap. Kuri herself was covered in what seemed to be electrical burns. She, too, was crying, though she seemed too proud to allow herself to sob.

She wouldn't eat with the group, she went to the cafeteria only to take her meal to her room and share it with her sister. Allen couldn't stand it, so one day he went to her room and knocked on the door. It took some convincing, but she agreed to play cards with him each afternoon after training.

Kanda had convinced Reiko to meditate with him after training. Allen was pretty sure Kanda liked her. Allen wasn't exactly experienced in that sort of thing, but he wanted Reiko to smile again almost as much as he wanted to make Kuri smile.

So here he was at around ten o'clock, playing poker with Kuri and telling her stories of his travels with General Cross. She loved those stories for some reason.

"Aw, you beat me again," Kuri said, laying down her terrible hand. "I always get the bad cards."

"I bet you'd be good against an average player like Lavi," Allen replied. "I'm an expert though; I had to be to pay Master's debts. Now, this time will you play me for something?"

"For what?" Kuri asked.

"For a date," Allen said. "Tomorrow's Christmas, which is also my birthday. I want to spend it with you."

"You don't have to play me for that," Kuri replied simply. "I want to go with you, Allen-wa. Let's go tomorrow morning bright and early. I know the perfect place. I heard about it from the finders."

xxx

Kanda woke up on Christmas morning and walked purposefully to Reiko's room. He was going to spend Christmas with her before that damn Reiko got any ideas. He knocked on her door.

"Hello Yu," she said, opening it. She was dressed in her new Order uniform. She had ordered that she get pants, not a skirt. It had a slit in the back for her innocence tails to form. She looked stunning, standing there with her red hair tied back in a ponytail and her green eyes flashing at him. But it needed something—his gift.

"Reiko," he said. "I got you something."

He held out a box, and she handed him a box. "I got you something too."

She opened the box, and let out a gasp, putting the red scarf around her neck. It was perfect—it matched her hair. "I love it! Open yours."

Kanda opened the box and found a small potted flower inside. As he watched, in her presence it seemed to blossom just for them. He smiled. "I'll treasure it."

The two stopped at his room to put the flower inside, and then they headed into town. They had a date. Kanda had asked her out the night before, after meditation, and she had accepted.

He took her hand and led her to a large tree in the center of town. "I…always liked this old tree."

He felt comfortable admitting to her what he would never in a lifetime say to anyone else. She only smiled and accepted every word. "I love all the lights on it. Tell me, what are our plans for the day, Yu?"

Kanda smiled, proud of his idea. "Can you dance, Reiko?"

"I can't," she whispered, as if ashamed by this fact.

"Every lady must learn," he said softly to her and led her into a ballroom. It was a Christmas party held every year. He had never attended, never had a reason. But now she was his reason. The passion he felt for her inspired him and made him want to do crazy things he had never done before.

He gently held her in his arms and taught her the waltz. It was beautiful and perfect. The date was absolutely perfect, and would have stayed that way, but then—she winced.

Thats when he saw, under her sleeve, the raw burned skin she was hiding.

_I have to be delicate about this,_ he thought. _If I bring it up here, she will be humiliated._

He gently spun her out and back in, dancing her into the gardens behind the ballroom. At her presence, the greenery stood up taller and rustled in new growth.

"What are we doing out here, Yu?" Reiko asked. "It's cold."

"Tell me what the Order has done to you," he said, his voice betraying his anger, but at the same time his arms moving forward to envelop her in a warm hug, keeping her from shivering.

She was quiet for a long moment, then swiftly turned to sob into his chest. "Oh, Yu, it's just awful! After Exorcist training they bring me into a seperate room and set it ablaze. I've heard them say it is to make me strong enough to make it to 100% synchronization rate, because my innocence's true nature is fire."

Reiko said this all very fast. And Kanda held her close. She is a second. That's why she is able to survive, why they push her so hard. She is regenerating. That must be where I have seen her before. She is one of the two that ran from the Order. So she survived.

"They will never hurt you again, Reiko," he said simply. "I will oversee your training from now on."

xxx

"Won't you tell me where we're going, Kuri?" Allen asked, out of breath, as he chased her through the streets.

"It's a surprise!" she laughed. He had never seen her so excited, and frankly, didn't want to jinx it.

Finally she stopped at the entrance to a circus and smiled at him. "See, didn't you tell me your father was a clown? You were brought up in a circus right? Um…if this bothers you we can do something else!"

"No no!" Allen said quickly. _She already bought the tickets. And she went to so much trouble to do so. She's not allowed out of the Order without an exorcist so…she must have had to convince a Finder to go get her tickets._ "I want to go with you."

The smile she gave him was all the reward Allen needed. He followed her into the Circus, noting the electrical burns on her arms under the exorcist uniform. _They must be hurting her somehow. I have to get her to talk to me so I can help her!_

The two of them got on the ferris wheel and as they rode she took his hand, looking down and seeming a bit scared. Was she afraid of heights?

"It's ok, I'm here," Allen said, pulling her close to him protectively. "Actually there's something I meant to ask you…"

"What is it?" Kuri smiled, brushing a lock of her own dark hair aside. "Today's your birthday so I'll answer anything."

"It's about the burns on your arms," Allen said, a harsh tone to his voice. He couldn't help it, he was mad.

Kuri was silent. The ride ended, and she got out and rushed to buy some cotton candy and a funnel cake for Allen. The two sat at a sticky picnic table and ate, until finally she spoke.

"It's worse for Onee-san," Kuri whispered. "They force her through fire, trying to get 100%. But me…they drop me in a tank of water and then…electrocute me. My heart stops sometimes, but it doesn't matter, I always wake up. Always. But then…your smiling face is there in my room waiting for me to play cards. Kanda-la always helps Onee-sama. So…I'm okay, really."

"No!" Allen slammed his fist on the table. "That is not ok! I'm not letting it happen anymore. I don't care what I have to do! I will practice with you from now on."

xxx

"Thank you so much Allen-wa." Kuri smiled at Allen and brought out her real surprise. "Look at this! This is me and Rei when we were small with our friends Mana and Red at the circus."

Mana, Red, and…Nea.

Allen was staring at the photo for a strangely long time. "Kuri, you were the little girl from the circus. The one who saw me—"

He broke off, looking as though he might cry.

"You were Red," Kuri stated. Kuri felt as though her world was crumbling. _I always hated Red. He had killed…killed Nea…_

"GIVE HIM BACK TO ME!" Kuri shouted, leaping over the table and attacking Allen, no Red. This must've been his plan. To lock Kuri and Onee-sama in the Order and torture them He had always tortured her, the hated Red who killed Nea.

Allen's innocence activated and he pinned her down, keeping me from hurting him or myself further.

Kuri screamed again and reached out to Allen. "NEA!"

xxx

Reiko felt a faint pulling at her shoulder. "Timcampy?"

The golem opened up and showed Reiko and Kanda what was happening at the circus.

Reiko was terrified. "What's happening to her, Yu?"

"Her memories," Kanda said softly. "Her memories are surfacing. She needs to be sedated."

The two of them ran to the circus.

Reiko reached out to her sister. Kuri had no recognition in her eyes. She didn't know Reiko at all. She screamed profanities at them, and tried to fight them, but Allen held her firmly to the ground. There were tears in his eyes, but he wouldnt let her go; he was obviously afraid for her safety.

Kanda sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "It will be over soon. She's close to fainting."

Sure enough, the scream petered out and Kuri's eyes rolled back in her head.

Trembling, Allen deactivated his Innocence and pulled Kuri into his arms, and together, the four returned to the Order.


	3. Girl With Two Faces

Then Rei smelled it, and it was like she slammed into an invisible wall. The scent of blood washed over her, horrible. Rei stopped and closed her eyes. Maybe if she stayed very still and didn't open them she could convince hersef that this was all just a bad dream, that I would wake up in a few hours.

Rei felt an arm go around her, and still she didn't move.

"She needs you, Rei." Allen's voice was shaking only a little. Rei opened her eyes then and stared at him. He was already crying.

"I don't think I can do this."

His grip on her shoulders tightened. "Yes, you can. You have to."

"Sister!" Kuri sobbed.

Without another thought, Rei wrenched herself from Allen's arm and ran to her sister. She was on her knees clutching the blood-soaked towel to her chest. She coughed and gagged again, and more blood sprayed from her mouth and nose.

"Get me more towels!" Rei snapped to Kanda, who was sitting white-faced and silent beside Kuri. Then she crouched in front of Kuri. "It's going to be okay. I promise. It's going to be okay."

Kuri was crying, and her tears were tinged red. She shook her head. "It's not. It can't be. I'm dying." Her voice was weak and gurgled as she tried to speak through the blood hemorrhaging in her lungs and throat.

"I'm staying with you. I won't let you be alone," Rei said.

Kuri grasped Rei's hand and she was shocked by how cold hers was. "I'm scared, Sis."

"I know, I'm scared, too. But we'll get through this together. I promise."

Kanda handed her a pile of towels. Rei took the blood-soaked towel from Kuri's hands, then she started wiping her face and mouth with a clean one, but she started coughing again and Rei couldn't keep up. There was just too much blood. And now Kuri was shaking so hard that she couldn't hold a towel herself. With a cry, Rei pulled her onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her, and like she was a child again, Rei began rocking her, telling her over and over that it would be all right, that she wouldn't leave her.

"Rei, this might help." Rei forgotten that there were other people there, so Allen's voice surprised her. Rei looked up to see that he was holding the relit green candle that represented earth. Then somehow, in the midst of my fear and despair, her instinct kicked in and she suddenly felt very calm.

"Come down here, Allen. Hold the candle close to her."

Allen dropped to his knees, and oblivious to the growing pool of blood that surrounded us and soaked us, he pressed close to Kuri, holding the candle in front of her face. Rei felt more than she saw Erin and Shaunee kneel on either side of me, and she drew strength from their presence.

"Kuri, open your eyes, honey," Rei said softly.

With a nasty, gurgling breath, Kuri's eyelids fluttered open. The whites of her eyes were totally red and more pink tears leaked down her colorless cheeks, but her eyes caught on the candle, and they held.

"I call the element earth to us now." Rei's voice strengthened and got louder as she spoke. "And I ask that earth be with this very special priestess, Kuri Hikawa, who has been so newly gifted with an affinity for the element. Earth is our home—our provider—and earth is where we will all someday return. Tonight I ask that earth hold and comfort Kuri, and make her journey home a peaceful one."

With a rush of fragrant air we were suddenly enveloped in the scents and sounds of an orchard. Rei smelled apples and hay, and heard birds chirping and bees buzzing.

Kuri's reddened lips tilted up. Her eyes never left the green candle, but she whispered, "I'm not scared anymore, Sis."

Then Rei heard the front door burst open and Komui was there crouched beside me. He started to move Allen and the Kanda out of the way and take Kuri from Rei's arms.

Rei voice blasted the room with its power, and she saw even Komui jerk back with surprise. "No! We stay with her. She needs her element and she needs us."

"Very well," Komui said. "It's very nearly over anyway. Help me get her to drink this so that her passing will be painless."

Rei was going to take the vial filled with milky liquid from her when Kuri spoke with surprising clearness. "I don't need it. Since earth came there hasn't been any pain."

"Of course there hasn't been, child." Komui touched Kuri's blood-smeared cheek and Rei felt her body relax and stop trembling completely. Then the Chief looked up. "Help Rei lift her onto the stretcher. Keep them together. Let's get her to the shrine." Komui told her.

I nodded. Strong hands gripped Kuri and Rei, and in moments Rei was placed on the stretcher with Kuri still in my arms. Surrounded by Allen, Kanda, and Lavi, they were carried swiftly out into the night. Later, Rei remembered so many weird things about the short trip into the Order—how it was snowing heavily, but that it seemed none of the flakes touched us. And it seemed abnormally quiet, as if the earth were holding itself still because it was already mourning. Rei kept whispering to Kuri, telling her that everything was okay, and that there was nothing to be scared of. Rei remember her leaning forward and vomiting blood over the side of the stretcher and how the scarlet drops looked against the clean white of the new-fallen snow.

Then they were inside the infirmary, and lifted off the stretcher onto a bed. Komui gestured for her friends to move close to them. Allen crawled up beside Kuri. He was still holding the lit green candle, and he lifted it so that if she opened her eyes again, Kuri would see it. Rei drew a deep breath. The air around them was still filled with apple blossoms and birdsong.

Then Kuri opened her eyes. She blinked a couple times, looking confused, then she looked up at me and smiled.

With obvious effort, Kuri opened her eyes again and looked around at Allen, Kanda, and Lavi. "Y'all stick with Rei. Don't let anything pull you apart."

"Don't worry," Allen whispered through his tears.

"We'll take care of her for you," Kanda managed to say. Rei was clutching Kanda's hand and crying hard, but she nodded in agreement and smiled at Kuri.

"Good," Kuri said. Then she closed her eyes. "Sis, I think I'm gonna sleep for a while now, 'kay?"

"Okay, honey," Rei said.

Her eyelids lifted once more and she looked up at Rei. "Will you stay with me?"

Rei hugged her closer. "I'm not going anywhere. You just rest. We'll all be right here with you."

"'Kay ..." she said softly.

Kuri shut her eyes. She took a few more gurgling breaths.

Then Rei felt her go completely limp in her arms and she didn't breathe again. Her lips opened just a little, as if she was smiling. Blood trickled from her mouth, her eyes, nose, and ears, but Rei couldn't smell it. All she could smell were the scents of the earth. Then, with an enormous rush of meadow-filled wind, the green candle went out, and Rei's sister died.

Xxx

It was evening. The skies were dark and the moon was hanging proudly in the sky. Similar to the morning, the moon's rays shined through her ripped curtain, highlighting her entire room. Every aspect of the small cramped space was encased by moonlight, looking as though it were shining.

Kuri mouth widened, fascinated by the sight. Whenever she wasn't experiencing pain throughout the night, she loved watching how the moon would light up her room. Unlike the sun, she loved the moon, finding it positively radiant. In her eyes, it was a complete opposite from the sun, being everything that the sun wasn't. With the sun, it brought smiles and happiness … but with the moon, it brought darkness and despair—one of her newfound loves.

She struggled to sit yet fell back as the ropes kept her arms and legs bound to the bedposts. She grunted with pain, the ligaments throbbing, and slowly dripping with flesh blood. Damn.

"Are you okay?" A man's voice said.

"Huh?" Startled, she blinked a few times in shock, staring towards an unknown person. With dark hair and grey eyes, this young and unknown stranger had somehow managed to enter the morgue of the Order undetected.

The Morgue. She was supposed to be dead.

"Here, let me help you. Those ropes must hurt." Not sure of what to say, she kept still, watching helplessly as the man untied the ropes. One by one, she felt their grips loosening around her limbs, letting them to fall lifelessly onto the bed.

"There! Now, you're all better." The man smiled at her. "I can understand you not remembering exactly. After all, you were a child when we met."

A picture dropped in her lap. Kuri leaned forward, and looked at it. Red, no, Allen. Along with Mana and..._Nea._

"How?" Kuri asked.

"How indeed. How are you standing next to me, Rhode?" Nea asked.

Kuri looked up and she realized she was standing beside him. But at the same time she was still laying on the marble slab. Impossible!

"Astral projection." Nea said. "The Noah in you is projecting away from your body. Next to me. I am projecting away from my body as well."

"Who's Rhode?" Kuri asked.

"That's your name. Or was." Nea chuckled. "For a while we'll be separated. I'm really very sorry about that."

Nea passed through the ghost body, the Noah body. He walked over to her human form, and kissed her on the lips.

"It's my turn to protect you from the Earl, beloved." Nea said. "Remain here and play the exorcist a while longer. The time is not come for your awakening. Occasionally Rhode will act on her own. Let her. Call it...growing pains, dear. Soon this all will end. Soon I will fulfill my promise. Together. Forever."


	4. Show Must Go On

Here's your B-set! C-set! A-set! Sorry for the wait! Well then...What will you have~? Ooh, a new boy~? Ah, and what a cute one you are!" Jerry said.

"Nice to meet you! My name is Allen Walker!" Allen bowed.

"Well, how nice and formal! What'll it be? I'll make you anything you like!" Jerry said.

"Anything, eh? Well then...I'll have Au Gratin potatoes, french fries, fry curry, mabodofu, beef stew, meat pies, carpaccio, nashigoren, chicken, tuna salad, some scones, a kuppa, a tomyank and rice...Then for dessert I'll have a mango pudding and some roasted dumplings...Let's say twenty of them!" Allen said.

"Can you really eat all that?" Jerry said.

"Just say that again, to my face!" Buzz said.

"Hey, stop it, Buzz." Finder said.

"Shut up. Don't lurk around talking about your dead friends while I'm eating. You'll ruin my appetite." Kanda said.

"You...Is that how you treat your allies?! We finders work beneath you exorcists, supporting you at the risk to our very lives! You... You...You say that ruins your appetite?!" Buzz said.

"You support us? No, you can do nothing but support us! You were unfit to be exorcists. You're just losers whom the Innocence refused to choose! There are plenty of replacements available for you finders. If you don't want to die, then get out!" Kanda said.

"Stop! I hate to barge into an argument in which I have no say, but I think your tone is simply unnecessary." Allen had grabbed him and stopped him.

"Let me go, beansprout." Kanda said.

"Beansprout? My name is Allen." Allen said.

"I'll remember that, if you make it a month without biting the dust. Many die here like maggots under a blowtorch. Like them..." Kanda said.

"That tone is unnecessary." Allen said.

"Don't touch me, cursed one. You'll die young. I hate your type." Kanda said.

"Well, I return your sentiment." Allen said.

"Ah, yes, there they are." Reever said. "Rei! Kanda! Allen! Come to the commander's room. You've got a mission."

Xxx

Kuri walked into her room. _Something's different. Someone's been here._

She walked around the bed. There, next to the bed, was a violin case.

She opened it up. "Is it...no, it can't be...CHERRY!"

She lifted the instrument, tuning the strings with the tuning fork around her neck. A note fell onto the bed.

"Found your instrument, partner." It read simply.

"Partner...but who?" Kuri said, lowering the violin back to its case as Reever darkened the doorway.

"Your missions's up Kuri."

Xxx

"Now that Kuri is stabilized," Komui said. "It's time to tell you all about your mission."

"You're letting us go on missions now?" Reiko asked. "You barely let us out of the Order before. And Kuri was dead! We just got her back! She can't even synchronize with her innocence anymore! We can't be too careful."

"I just completed her training." Kanda said. "She will be fine."

"I need my best exorcists on this case," Komui replied to the four of them. "I'll not listen to your complaints. We have discovered a fragment of Innocence in southern Italy, but it would seem that the Akuma have taken notice, and are targeting it. Proceed with all haste to the scene, destroy the enemy, and capture the Innocence. You'll have to read the manuals on the way for the specifics. That is all."


	5. Annabelle

Kuri awoke to find that she was in Komui's office.

"It seems your innocence is in full working order." Komui said. "It has even evolved. You have been able to purify using your hands. You must be more careful."

"Sorry Kuri, I told him everything." Allen said.

"Dammit Allen." Kuri said.

"Don't be like that." Reiko said. "Brother just wants to protect you."

"We all do." Kanda said.

"Why are you all in here?" Kuri asked.

"We have a mission for the four of you." Komui said. "There is an enchanted doll in Southern Italy. It has been hypnotizing humans and torturing them. This supernatural power could be innocence."

"She's too weak! You can't send her on a mission!" Reiko said.

"We have no choice. This doll is too powerful to just send one or even two." Komui said. "I'm sending all of you."

Kuri fed Timcampy some star candy.

"You'll only spoil him." Allen laughed.

"I want to go on the mission." Kuri said.

Kanda patted her head. "You don't have to do that."

"I absolutely have to. I'm an exorcist. This is my responsibility." Kuri said.

Xxx

In the town of Mater, a doll was sold at the store called the Red Dress, to a young girl.

The girl took the doll, Lala, home and began brushing her hair.

She placed her in the light to look at her.

The girl heard a sound at the window and ran to look. No one.

The girl turned. The doll could sing? She knelt and looked at it. Her eyes suddenly went blank.

The blank eyed girl stood and along with the rest of the house, walked outside and handed the doll to Guzol.

With the final note, the family turned their heads on their necks, breaking them and falling down dead.

"Come Lala." Guzol said as the blood pooled at his feet. "Let's punish the condemned."

"Do I have to wear this?" Allen said.

"It's something like the badge of an exorcist. It's made for battle, so it's pretty tough." Komui said.

"Timcanpy! Where have you been?" Allen said.

"I had him show me your past. Timcanpy is able to record images into himself." Komui said.

"See you!" Komui said.

"Bye!" Allen said.

Xxx

"W-Wait!" Allen said as they stood on a roof.

"No time! The train approaches!" Toma said.

"We're riding that?! Getting on a moving train..." Allen said.

"We always get on this way." Rei said.

They all jumped into the train.

"U-Um..." Allen said.

"We're from the Black Order. We should have a reservation." Kuri said.

"Ah, excuse me! I'll lead you there!" Train guy said.

"R-Reservation?" Allen said. "What an amazing cabin!"

"Our destination is the south of Italy, the ancient city of Martel..." Rei said.

"That city has been abandoned for sometime, hasn't it?" Allen said.

"Target: The ghost of Martel..." Kuri said.

"Ghost? What does a ghost have to do with the Innocence?" Allen said.

"Paranormal phenomena often occur around the Innocence." Kuri said.

"Paranormal?" Allen said.

"Che..." Kanda said.

"Are you making fun of me?" Allen said.

"Ignore him. Yu is just anxious." Rei said.

"So that's the story." Reiko finished telling them the tale of Guzol and his doll.

"So a murderous singing doll on a bloody rampage controlled by a crazy human." Kuri said. "Fun mission."

Kuri began to play solitaire in the vacant compartment.

Reiko and Kanda kept talking and the door eventually opened and closed again.

"Hi Allen." Kuri said.

"You know we used to play cards all the time." Allen said.

"So strip poker." Kuri said.

Allen looked shocked and appalled. "No!"

"Liar." Kuri said. "But every time you nearly had my bra off brother would somehow figure it out and come barging in like—"

"MOYASHI!" Kanda banged the compartment door open. "Are you soliciting my little sister!"

"I asked him—"

"Coming in here, trying to get her to play strip poker with you! I thought you were a gentleman!" Kanda yelled.

Allen stood up. "Listen here Bakanda! I am a gentleman and your a scoundrel, and I'll tell you why!"

"You're BOTH idiots!" Reiko hit them both upside the head with something metal, it sounded like a frying pan. "We're here."

"The town of Mater." Kuri breathed.

Xxx

"I hear... a song? Why is it coming from below?" Allen said.

"A breeze? A breeze from underground? There is a breeze! Here! We can hide here." Kanda said.

"Where have you gone? Exorcist?!" Akuma called.

"Damn it! It just keeps going down..." Allen said. "How far does this go? It's that song..."

"So you've come..." Lala said.

"So, you're the doll, the Ghost of Martel." Allen said.


	6. Silent Song

"I hear something..." Kuri said, and raised her hand to her pentacle and drew out a bow.

She spun and aimed the arrow at Reiko.

"What are you—" Reiko stopped, and a polearm appeared in her hands. She raised it to the heavens, gathering lightning, then—

"STOP!" Allen knocked them both to the ground.

Kanda's blade was at his throat. "Die, Moyashi!"

Allen activated his arm and knocked the weapons out of each of their hands. Weaponless, they began to punch each other.

Allen searched for the source of the haunting tune. "Where are you, innocence?"

He rand into the church, and there she was.

"Stop it right now!" Allen said. "You aren't an akuma, so why...?"

Lala lifted a column and went to attack.

"Wait! If there's something I should know, just tell me. I can't fight such a cute girl." Allen said.

"Guzol will die soon. Just let me take care of him until then! I'll give you my heart, I promise!" Lala said. "Did you know that Martel was oncecalled the city forsaken by God?"

"Yes, I heard." Allen said.

"In order to escape from the cruelness of the winter and the harsh rays of the sun, the people of the city made dwellings underground. For a long, long time, they kept digging. Then, one day, they found something. Sadness, pain, and the slow decay of this city.

In order to forget the pain and suffering in which they lived, if only for a moment, the residents created dolls. Dolls that danced and sang. Several hundred years later, the city fell. Even though all the people who could hear her songs were gone, one doll kept moving. Then, one day, a single boy came to Martel. He came to the abandoned city at the end of his strength, with no one to take care of him. It had been five hundred years since the city fell. It was not the first time a human had wandered into the city. There were five adults who came before them. When I asked them how they liked my song, they all attacked me. So, I thought that boy would be the same. If he didn't accept me, I only had to kill him. Like all the adults that came before. As a doll, I was built by humans, and humans were my reason for being. It has been several decades since then, and Guzol has stayed with me all that time. Guzol won't be able to move for much longer. The sound of his heart is getting slower and softer..."

"You can't take my heart!" Lala shouted. "I will only sing for Guzol if you promise to leave us. I'll stop hurting the humans, just let me remain with my beloved Guzol!"

Guzol coughed and clutched the doll.

Allen looked out at his now frozen bloodied comrades. He was furious. "Release them, and I will let you keep your promise to Guzol."

Lala clapped her hands together. "Oh thank you Exor—"

"No! You're asking me to wait for that old man to die?! We don't even know when the Akuma might find us. We don't have the time!" Kanda said.

"Kanda..." Allen said.

"Why did we even come here? Take that doll's heart this instant!" Kanda said.

"I won't. I'm sorry. I don't want to take it." Allen said.

"That coat isn't just a pillow for a sick man! It's the uniform of an exorcist! Such sacrifices are inevitable, new boy." Kanda said.

"Please, don't take it! Please, stop!" Lala said.

"Then, I'll do it." Kanda said.

"If I sacrifice myself for them, will that satisfy you? They just want to live together to the very end. Until then, I will not take the Innocence from this doll. If I destroy the Akuma, there's no problem, right? It's just pitiful to fight when nobody benefits."

"Allen-wa..." Kuri said.

"Yu..." Rei said.

"That's awfully naive." Kanda said. "You feel sorry for them, so you're sacrificing yourself for them?! Don't you have any reason to live?!"

"I lost everything I loved long ago. I don't have an important reason, like feeling sorry for anyone or anything. I just don't want to see them suffer. That's all. I'm a petty person. So my heart goes out to those in front of me, before greater world events. I can't just leave them, so if I can protect them, I want to!" Allen said.

The song was silenced as her heart was ripped away. A level two akuma stood in the mist. "Finally she froze her song and I could find her. Thank you, exorcist."

Allen's fury was absolute.

"Give it back!" Allen's innocence was radiating with his anger. "GIVE THE INNOCENCE BACK!"

Kuri, Rei, and Kanda entered the room to find Allen's innocence remaking itself, reforming, reacting to his anger.

"His emotion is changing it." Kuri said. "He's full of righteous fury."

Allen lifted his weapon and fired at the akuma.

"Idiot! Your weapon isn't fully formed!" Kanda shouted.

The akuma dissolved into sand and reformed, now possessing Allen's weapon.

Kuri lurched forward to attack, but Reiko pushed her back.

"Don't. Allen deserves to destroy this one." Reiko said.

Allen broke through the akuma's skin and continued his attack.

"Guzol loved Lala! I won't forgive this!" Allen attacked.

The akuma jerked back, unable to combat him properly with the fake arm.

"I have the same weapon! Why can't I—" Akuma said.

"It isn't the weapon." Kuri said fiercely. "It's Allen-wa! He's an exorcist!"

She grabbed Allen's shoulders. "Once more, Allen. Deliver the final blow!"

"Damn! It rebounded... My body wasn't ready for my advanced weapon, was it?" Allen said.

Kanda got up and attacked the akuma. "Take this!"

"Kanda!" Allen said.

"You won't be able to do a damn thing like this! Wasn't it you who said you wanted to protect them?! I hate naive idiots like you, but I hate people who break promises even more!" Kanda said.

"Either way, you hate me? I'm not cowering. I was just taking a break." Allen said.

"You annoy me to no end!" Kanda said.

"Please, just hold on one more time! Innocence, activate!" Allen attacked.

"Beasts of the Underworld!" Kanda said.

"Fire!" They both said.

"Stop it! No!" Akuma said and was destroyed.

"One...One more time...To Lala, one more time." Allen said as he put the innocence back inside her.

"Human, sir, how would you like a song? Human, sir? How would you like a song?Human, sir. I am a doll, and will sing for you, sir..." Lala said.

"Lala...I love you..." Guzol said.

"Are you sleeping? Then, I will sing you a lullaby." Lala said.

Allen fell asleep listening to her sing.

"What are you sleeping for? Keep watch." Kanda said.

"What happened to your wound?" Allen said.

"I heal fast." Kanda said.

"It'll take at least five months to heal completely." Allen said.

"Shut up" Kanda said.

"I just got in contact with the Order. New orders from Komui have come down. Yu is to go on the next mission, we are take the Innocence to headquarters." Rei said.

"If it hurts you, stop the doll. It isn't Lala any longer." Kanda said.

"They promised each other. Guzol, and no other, should stop Lala." Allen said.

"You're so naive. We exorcists exist to destroy, not to save." Kanda said.

"I know. I just..." Allen said.

Xxx

On that third night, Guzol died...and stopped Lala in his last moment. Kuri was standing there with them, playing her violin with Lala's final note, the vibrato echoing through the room as the note died out

"Thank you...for letting me sing until the very end. Now my promise is fulfilled." Lala said.

Allen caught her in his arms.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Kuri said.

"Kuri...I still want to be a destroyer that saves lives, at least." Allen said.


	7. Welcome Home

"It's an Akuma!" John shouted.

Allen and Kuri showed up.

"Where's the akuma?" Kuri said.

"There." Allen said, gesturing to the homeless man.

Kuri touched the Akuma, and it disintegrated.

"Wow!" John tackled Kuri and Allen. "Real Exorcists! Come to my house for dinner!"

He dragged them home with him.

"My dad's a scientist for the Black Order. He hasn't been home in a long time, though. I learned about the Akuma after I read some of my dad's notes one day. I didn't know that guy back there at all. I patrol the city to protect it from Akuma invasion." John said.

"Patrol?" Allen said.

"I've got a friend who does it with me, too His name's Leo, and he's a great guy!" John said. "I go on patrol to learn about Akuma, too"

"To learn? Why?" Allen said.

"Isn't that obvious? I'll learn about them, and one day I'll be a great scientist, and make a weapon that can blow those Akuma away in an instant!" John said.

"Um, may I interrupt, John?" Allen said.

"Although..." John said.

"What?" Allen said.

"I didn't think that exorcists looked so wimpy." John said. "You look kinda like a beansprout. I thought you guys looked completely different, Allen."

"Beansprout..." Allen said.

"I wonder, how did you come to be an exorcist? How did it happen? And when? Did you get in on someone's recommendation? I couldn't get in any other way, then? Where'd you get your anti-Akuma weapon? When did you first kill an Akuma with it? How did it feel? How many Akuma have you killed?" John said.

"John, you shouldn't stick your nose too far into this." Allen said.

"Eh?" John said.

"You should stop patrolling with your friend Leo, too If you make yourself too visible, the Millennium Earl could notice you, and you'd be in big trouble then." Allen said.

"Here you go!" John said.

"An onion? M-My...My eyes!" Allen said.

"I made it! It's an onion bomb!" John said. "I can't just sit by and watch the Akuma take over! I'm tons more useful than you, Allen!"

"God, I give up!" Allen said.

"This is because you got involved in such an unrelated affair." Kuri said.

"But..." Allen said.

"If it's enough to make you worry, let's have the finders responsible for this area keep an eye on him." Kuri said.

"Eh?" Allen said.

"As I said, we should return to headquarters." Kuri said.

"Yeah, thanks, Kuri." Allen said.

**Headquarters**

"Allen said that headquarters was home, but nobody even welcomes me back." Kuri said. "Um, Allen?"

"What?" Allen said.

"Well, I have the Innocence that I recovered here..." Kuri said.

"Ah, yeah, just take it to Hevlaska. She'll take care of it." Allen said.

Xxx

"Welcome home, Kurisuta Hikawa." Hevlaska said.

"Thank you, Hevlaska." Kuri said.

"Have a 's the real thing, no doubt about it, Hevvie." Komui said.

"She's drawing it in..." Kuri said.

"I will keep vagrant Innocence with me until the Generals return." Hevlaska said.

"There are five marshals, including your General Cross. They're all off on a mission. They work to find new Innocence hosts, you see." Komui said. "Take a look, Kuri. It's Hevvie's insides. There are holes for all one hundred and nine Innocence fragments."

"Sleep for awhile within me, Innocence. Sleep until you find your host, and become a weapon." Hevlaska said.

"As of now, we have recovered forty one fragments of Innocence. There are many, many fragments left in this world." Komui said.

**Kuri's Room**

"Am I tired?" Kuri thought. "I was thinking about so many things, I couldn't really sleep that well..."

"All right, I'll leave you to it." Allen said.

"What's the matter?" Kuri said.

"It's nothing." Allen said.

"Oh, all right..." Kuri said.

"You shouldn't go into the cafeteria for awhile..." Allen said.

"Ah, well...Yes." Kuri said.

"Jerry burned something, and the smell's terrible! It's so smelly, you won't be able to stand it." Allen said.

"Oh, I don't mind..." Kuri said.

"Don't go in there. Okay? I'll call you later, so just wait in your room a little longer." Allen said.

"Um, right...Um..." Kuri said.

"D-Did you want something else?" Allen said.

"N-no..." Kuri said.


	8. Good Evening

"Does someone in the research and development division have a child named John?" Allen said.

"Eh? John? I think he's probably Jake Russel's kid. Russel's over in that mountain." Kuri said.

"You're Mr. Russel, aren't you? I met John yesterday. He was saying that he was patrolling the city to protect it from Akuma and all sorts of stuff like that. Please tell him to stop doing such dangerous things, as his father." Allen said.

Xxx

"Okay, it's all done!" Rei said.

"Everything's ready!" Jerry said.

"Yay!" All said

"All right, now let's party, to celebrate the successful completion of Kuri's first mission!" Jerry said. "Oh, damn! Kuri's nowhere to be found!"

"Kuri has most likely gone to see a boy named John." Kuri said.

"John?" Jerry said.

"We have to call her back. He could be in trouble. One of the finders assigned to watch over that boy was just killed by an Akuma." Kuri said.

Xxx

"Young Master John, you have a visitor!" Maid said. "Young Master John!"

"Who is it?" John said. "Leo! It's been awhile, partner! I haven't heard from you since the funeral, so I was worried sick. You living at a relative's house? I'll help you in anyway I can, so cheer up!"

"He seems different...It must have been quite a shock having his Mom die like that.

_I wonder if there's anything I can do to cheer him up.."_ John thought.

"Oh yeah! I found an Akuma for the first time yesterday! I saw the Millennium Earl, too!

There's no mistake! I'll draw him for you. It's like this, and..." John said.

Xxx

"So, it's not just Allen, but Kuri too? What's going on here?" Komui said.

"I don't know!" Rei said. "I told you we should have had the party as soon as they got back! That boy's far too tense!"

Xxx

The doorbell rang, and John opened it. "Leo! Come meet the exorcists!"

Leo came in the room and Allen looked alarmed.

"Not here." Kuri whispered to Allen. "John, Leo. Let's go for a walk ok?"

The four of them headed out and passed a graveyard.

"See she has some sort of Death's Touch and—" John stopped, seeing the Millennium Earl in the graveyard.

He grabbed Leo's hand. "We have to run!"

"Leo is already long dead. On the day of his mother's funeral. That's an Akuma, made to punish you for getting in my way!" Earl said.

"That's a lie..." John said.

"It's true, John." Allen said, activating his arm.

Kuri activated her bow and arrow, blue eyes flaring silver.

"Leo?" John said.

"That boy is not human. It is one of the Millennium Earl's weapons, merely disguised as your friend. It's an Akuma." Allen said.

"Who are you?" Earl said.

"Your nemesis." Allen said.

"An exorcist, then?" Earl said. "Well, well, it's very nice to meet you."

"Cross, give me the strength to kill this Akuma and save it's soul!" Allen said.

"Stop!" John said.

"John!" Allen said.

"Why? Why is Leo an Akuma? He was my friend. I started my Akuma patrols with him! We said we were gonna protect the city together! He can't be an Akuma! Do you have any proof?! Leo..."

Allen was shot by the Leo Akuma before Kuri could move to protect him.

"Allen!" John said. "Allen's been shot! My god, I read that there's a virus in those bullets that destroys the human body!"

"Ah,it was so brave of him to come jumping in front of the bullets for you. John, you know, you piss me off. You have no strength, but you think you have the right to declare what is just, and say that I'm a bad, bad guy... I'm just making Akuma for the good of the Earth. What do you think? It's disgusting, isn't it? This is the true form of the human soul, warped by all its sin. You think I'm making Akuma simply as weapons, but Akuma are created by the human soul. This Akuma is just the same. It is an Akuma born of your good friend Leo." Earl said.

"From Leo?" John said.

"Leo used the Earl's power to bring his dead mother back to Earth, and turned her into an Akuma. I can see her. His mother is in terrible pain, for she was turned into an Akuma." Allen said.

"What are you talking about, you dying weakling?" Earl said.

"I host an anti-Akuma weapon. I can purge my body of this virus." Allen said.

"H-His skin is healing!" John said. "That thing... What is it?"

"A curse. I turned someone precious to me into an Akuma. Thanks to that I can see the souls which rest within Akuma." Allen said.

"Ah, I remember! I've met you before, long ago! You are Allen Walker! You turned your father into an Akuma back then!" Earl said.

"Allen turned his father into an Akuma?!" Kuri said, arriving. Her blue-silver eyes widened. Now she had to relive it all over again. The day Red had turned Mana into an akuma.


	9. Mana

"Your dad was an Akuma, too?" John said.

"We weren't related by , Mana...My father, took me in and raised me, even though I was born with an arm like this. Mana taught me many things. Things I needed to live, ways to live entirely on my own. But, when I was left truly alone,

I didn't know what I should do Mana, my father, was dead..." Allen said.

Xxx

"Mana? Mana! Mana! Mana?!" Younger Allen said said.

"Allen...Listen to me, Allen. No matter what happens, never stop!" Mana said.

"No, Mana! I don't want you to die!" Allen said.

"No matter what, keep walking." Mana said.

"Don't leave me alone!" Allen said

"Keep walking, Allen!" Mana said. "As long as there's a breath left in your body!"

"M-Mana! No..It's not true!" Kuri said, coming in from the carnival and crying out.

Don't die! I don't want you to die!" Allen said.

Xxx

"A good evening to you. Shall I revive Mana Walker for you? If you wish me to, I need your help I need you, the one he loved most, to call out to him." Earl said.

"Call Mana?" Allen said.

"Yes, you can steal back your Mana from that hateful God!" Earl said.

"You...You can bring Mana back?" Allen said.

"Now, you must call his soul back from the afterlife." Earl said.

"Mana! Mana..." Allen said.

"A... llen..." Mana said.

"Mana!" Allen said.

"How dare you! How dare you turn me into an Akuma! I curse you, Allen! How dare you turn me into an Akuma!" Mana said.

"Allen, you are now mine. Now, Mana Walker, kill him and take his form!" Earl said.

"I curse you, Allen!" Mana said.

"I didn't know what had happened. My left arm had activated, and attacked the Akuma which harboured Mana's soul." Allen said.

"Mana! Stop it! Don't kill Mana! Run! Run, father!" Allen said.

"Allen...I love you. Destroy me. Destroy me, Allen." Mana said.

"Mana!" Allen said.

A struggling Kuri came out of the darkness. "Y-You killed him. You killed Mana. YOU TRAITOR!"

Xxx

"It was my master who told me who the Millennium Earl was, what Akuma are, and what was happening to me." Allen said.

"Allen's master? General Cross?" Kuri said.

Xxx

"The soul within an Akuma's body has no is a slave for all eternity, bound to the will of the Millennium Earl. There was no way to save him but to destroy it. So, you were born with an anti-Akuma weapon, were you? What an unfortunate fate. It would seem you are yet another man bound to do God's will. Would you like to become an exorcist?" Cross said.

Xxx

"From that moment on I was able to see the souls of Akuma. At first, I thought that Mana had cursed me that day, so I chose to atone for my sin by becoming an exorcist. But one day, after I had seen many Akuma, I came to know that his tears were not those of anger, but of despair from being turned into an Akuma. Of frustration at his own inability to prevent his demonic transformation. So, I decided to become an exorcist, not to atone, but to be able to live with greater strength and purpose. This curse lights my way.

Akuma are far too grim to exist in this world. So, I will destroy them." Allen said.

"Allen..." Kuri said, impressed.

"Allen, I should have killed you that day. You can see the Akuma's souls? You can save them? If so, then just try it! If so, then just try it!" Earl said and had the akumas shoot at him.


	10. Frozen Innocence

"Again...it's October 28th again..." Rei said. "That makes thirty times old friend."

She wound her clock fondly.

"Perhaps this is a sign that my innocence is finally evolving..." Rei said, pouring herself a cup of tea.

She headed downstairs where some children surrounded her.

"Stupid fox girl, brings everyone bad luck!" They said, forming a ring around her and chanting.

Rei growled at them and sent them running. "Again...day in and day out...if only I could break free."

Xxx

"Rei went on a mission to find innocence with Kanda. They found it and Kanda came back with it, but no Rei. Apparently she was recovering from an injury and her last report was that she couldn't synchronize with her innocence. We sent finders but..." Komui said. "Well, you see, there's this city that keeps rewinding."

"Rewinding?" Allen said.

"Yes. I believe their time is stuck in a single day. They're repeating the same day over, forever.

Captain Reever!" Komui said.

"Hey there. We've been mobilized to investigate a claim made by a nearby liquor dealer.

On October the 28th, he received an order for ten tuns of rose wine, to be delivered on the next day, the 29th. But he couldn't get into the city, and has since received the same order for ten tuns of rose wine for the 29th." Reever said.

"Th-That's scary..." Kuri said.

"It's November already, but that city is still on October the 28th, then? And Rei is trapped in there?" Allen said.

"We'd like to find out, but the finders can't get in, either. And so, from here on is merely our conjecture. First off, if this is a phenomenon originating from an Rei's Innocence, an exorcist carrying Innocence may be able to enter the town. Second, if the town is indeed trapped on October the 28th, then even if you are able to enter, you will most likely be unable to exit it." Komui said.

"Because its time and space are closed off?" Kuri said.

"Yes." Komui said.

"Kuri...what's that pendant around your neck?" Allen asked.

"Oh this? It's something the science section came up with, just for me. My synch rate is down to 50% since my near death experience so I thought I could use an edge. This pendant traps akuma and purifies them...in theory." Kuri said.

"Wow it can really do that? It's innocence then?" Allen said. "Can you still use sacred arrows?"

"We removed the innocence from my body and split it. Like I said...it was all my idea. I've been testing it by firing my arrows and trapping them in the pentacle. Never tried it on an akuma before..." Kuri said.

"But—" Allen ventured.

"Well then, let's get going, Allen-wa" Kuri said.

"Ah, yes!" Allen said.

"Be careful, Kuri!" Komui said.

"Bye Komui-la!" Kuri said

Xxx

Rei headed out to find a job only to find herself cornered again. This time by and akuma.

"No problem! I'm an exorcist!" Rei said. "Innocence, activate!"

Nothing happened, and it hadn't for as long as she'd been trapped here.

"ACTIVATE!"

"You're going to diiie you're going to diiiie!" Akuma taunted as it moved in for the kill.

"CROSS GRAVE!" Allen destroyed the akuma just in time and appeared in the alley. "We've been looking for you Rei!"

Rei dissolved in tears and hugged him. "I'm so glad to see you Allen!"

The other two akuma began advancing on them.

"Where's Kuri?" Rei asked.

"She got knocked out in battle." Allen said.

Xxx

"So this is the rewinding city, is it?" Rhode said, after leaving her host body.

"Lero?" Lero said. "You're using me as a dipstick?!"

"Rhode Kamelot has arrived!" Rhode said.

Xxx

"Sound Pulse!" Akuma said.

"My head's going to explode!" Allen said.

"Hotter than flames!" Akuma said. "Ice Fire! If it so much as touches you, it'll burn your flesh straight off in an instant!"

"Let's cut'im! Let's cut'im!" Akuma said.

"No, no It'll be more fun to scramble his brains with my voice!" Akuma said.

"Cut'im!" Akuma said.

"Burn'im!" Akuma said.

"Scramble his brains!" Akuma said.

"Rock, paper, scissors!" Akuma said.

"One for the money, two for the show, three to-" Akuma said.

Allen readied his arm against them, aiming.

"What're you doing?!" Akuma said.

"That's no fair, interrupting our throw!" Akuma said.

"I won't wait for you!" Allen said.

"Kill the exorcist!" Akuma said.

"Wait." Rhode said. "Looks like you're having fun. Maybe you've forgotten about collecting the Innocence. Return."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Akuma said.

"Right this moment!

"What was that?! Where are the Akuma?" Allen said. "What was that voice?"

Xxx

"Um, Lady Rhode...You...How could you deny me the pleasure of killing him?" Akuma said.

"How lucky! So he's the cursed one, is he? My host's beloved...How shall I crush him, then?" Rhode said.


End file.
